To help college graduates find employment, China's Ministry of Education has planned 13 on-line job fairs in cooperation with 10 other ministries from now through June, 2009, according to the ministry.

It will also recruit 30,000 college students as rural teachers next year, a figure that's nearly equal to the total summation of 2006 and 2007.

The move is part of the ministry's larger drive to channel grads into vacant jobs in the country's remote, less-developed western regions.

It is predicted that Chinese college graduates face greater difficulty finding jobs these days due to the impact of the world financial crisis.

Graduates are also being encouraged to join the military where they would have the chance to study in army-affiliated institutes and get quick promotions.

Other plans to help new grads include raising the number of full-time postgraduate and second-degree programs.

(Xinhua News Agency December 18, 2008)